Valladolid stun Barcelona

The La Liga title race took another twist on Saturday afternoon as Juventus loanee Fausto Rossi scored his first top-flight goal and Real Valladolid CF stunned Barcelona 1-0. The defeat was Barca’s fourth in the league this season.

The Blaugrana came close to taking the lead before the only goal of the match arrived in the 17th minute, as Lionel Messi’s curling shot from the edge of the area was magnificently saved by Diego Mariño. The keeper’s efforts were rewarded soon after when Rossi, on loan from Juventus, rifled a ricocheted ball beyond Víctor Valdés.

Gerardo Martino’s team took the game to their hosts after the break, but Messi found Mariño unbeatable and Neymar somehow spurned a seemingly straightforward opportunity from point-blank range.

Barça will be fall to third in the table if Atlético Madrid should win at Celta de Vigo tonight.

The way that Barcelona has played this season, you have to wonder if Barca manager Tata Martino will be back next season? Barca have rarely been as dynamic as we have seen them in previous years and a coaching change would not surprise me at all.